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Transcript

Researcher Seeking to Cool Spacecraft
UH researcher Donald
Kouri's studies may one
day provide a mathematical model of chemical reactions in the earth's atmosphere and provide
spacecraft with a smoother ride.
Kouri, a theoretical
chemist, does much of his
esoteric probing without
ever leaving his office.
"It's pencil and paper
work at this stage," Kouri
said.
Pencil and paper is a bit
of an understatement,
though. From his office,
Kouri has access to several supercomputers via a
network that stretches
from UH to the University
of Minnesota and a NASA
complex at Moffit Field California.
Kouri said his research
is based on the theory of
quantum mechanics.
"The theory was developed in the 1930s," Kouri
said. "It is the basic theory
that describes how atoms
and molecules behave."
In his specific field,
Kouri attempts to use very
complex mathematical
equations to determine the
probable reactions of different chemical elements
in various conditions.
In one theoretical example, Kouri said a diatomic
molecule (a molecule consisting of two chemically
bound atoms) is rammed
by another atom. Researchers then try to decide if the samples reacted, swapped atoms to
create different chemicals
or simply bounced off each
other.
A variation of the same
model is to electrically
stimulate the diatomic
molecule, which causes its
two atoms to vibrate, then
bump into the molecule
with a slow-moving atom,
Kouri said.
Differences in the two
reactions provide scientists with insight into how
various placements of energy, might produce a poisonous gas, he said.
Kouri said in the future,
researchers may use these
findings to better understand the earth's atmosphere, especially its reaction to pollution, and to
develop materials that will
allow low-heat re-entry of
spacecraft. ► Michael A.
Smith
Professor Donald
Kouri is bringing
science fiction one
step closer to reality
with the use of a
supercomputer. Photo
by Robert Denton.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy ■ 49